Rivet-strip.



-59. cHAlN. STAPLE. L HORSESHQE Mmmm; j UTSmi l SE1-'p16 mj-xcng. Banks 8L processes. A if/71 Patented Oct. 28, |902.- J. S. STOKES;

ABNET STRIP.

(Appu'mign med July u, 1902.) I

(Nq Model.)

UNITED STATES u MJ PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN S. STOKES, OF MOORESTOWN, NEW JERSEY.

RlVET-STRI P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters'atent No.' 712,422, dated October 28, 1902.

Application ined July 11, 1s`iii2. seen no. 115,172. (No man.)

To all whom, it may concern.'

Beit known that I, JOHN S. STOKES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Moorestown, in the county of Burlington and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rivet-Strips, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to metallic rivet strips or fasteners, such as are especially adapted to connect or bind together the meeting edges of boxes or other similar receptacles-made of thin wood, pasteboard, or other equivalent material.

In machines for riveting or staying boxes now in general use certain forms of rivets or fasteners are employed and are fed into the machine in strip formthat is, a plurality of rivets are formed in a continous strip of indefinite length and the strip is fed into a stayin g-machine, where the rivets are severed from the strip one at a time, shaped to proper form and applied to the box or other receptacles, the operation of severing, forming, and applying being continuous.

It is the purpose of the present invention to improve the construction of the rivet-strip, reduce the cost of manufacture by providing a construction wherein practically little or no metal is wasted -in cutting the strip, and wherein the points or prongs of the rivets are connected orjoined in such manner that they will be protected against accident-al rupture or breakage.

Briey and generally stated, the invention comprises a rivet-strip formed of a series of rivets joined together in a continuous strip of indefinite length, each rivet comprising a head and two prongs extending outward from the head at diametrically opposite sides thereof, the points of the prongs of one rivet being connected to the heads of adjacent rivets, and all the rivets of the strip being disposed at an angle to a line taken longitudinally and centrally of the strip.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use my said invention, I will similar view of a slightly-modified form of strip. l

The rivet-strip, as shown in Fig. l of the/ drawings, consists of a plurality of connected rivets, each rivet comprising a head land two shanks orprongs 2, fornnwl with and extending outward at dial etricallyopposite sides ot' the head, the ends of the said Shanks or prongs being beveled or pointed, as at 3, to provide penetrating ends. As will be seen by referring to the drawings, the ends or points 3 of the prongs of each rivet are connected to the heads l of the adjacent rivets, the points of connection being only along the inclined walls or beveled ends forming one side of each point of the prong, the other sides of such points being approximately tangential to the heads. By this construction it will be seen that no sharp points are present in the structure to injure the hands of the operators when handling the strips or to catch in their clothing or the machine; and, furthermore, the prongs by reason of their attachment to the heads in the manner described and shown will he supported against bending or breakage.

In practice `the strip is fed into the machine and the rivets are successively severed, the prongs bent at right angles to the head and then driven into the box to be stayed or fastened and the points clenched, the said operations being carried out successively in the machine in the order stated. One of the rivets is shown severed from the strip in Fig. 1 of the drawings, said illustration showing the rivet beforeits prongs have been bent for insertion in the box-carrier.

It will be seen by referring to the drawings that the prongs of adjacent rivets are slightly separated from each other, thus providing equidistant holes or openings in the strip, which holes or openings aid materially in feeding the strip into and through the setting and shaping machine, a feeding-pawl that enters said holes or openings being nsuallyem'- ployed for this purpose. Thus the strip is fed forward with a.nniform step-by-step movement. It will also be noted that the end of each prong is beveled on one side and that the prongs are -severed from the strip on an inclined or diagonal line corresponding to the transferir-te a nemesi-1er. Magna-' I Stapie makzng Banks 81. processes. la.

sain ne'veied'edjustrefei-red to. Hence 1t will be seen that the prongs ot the rivets when severed and by the act of severing will be formed with sharp penetrating-points.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings l have illustrated aslightly-modilied form of rivet-strip. Iustead of joining the pointed ends 3 of the prongs 2 directly to the heads l, as shown in Fig. land as above described, the pointed ends of said prongs may be connected to or united with the heads by means of narrow webs 4, which are integral with the prongs and heads. One side of each of the webs 4 forms a continuation of one ot' the beveled sides of the point of the attached prongand by severing the prongs and webs along the line a: the other beveled side of such point is completed.

The same advantages attach to both forms of the rivet-strip shown in the drawings, excepting that in the form shown in Fig. l less metal is wasted, and no projecting nibs or spurs 5 are formed which have to be turned down and forced into the box material with the prongs, thus weakening the material, as is the case in the form shown in Fig. 2.

In both forms of rivet-strips shown it will be noted that the prongs are disposed at an angle to a line projected centrally and longitudinally of the strip. This results in a decided advantage. The metallic blanks from which the rivet-strips are formed consist of continuous strips of thin sheet metal of indefinite length, forming practically metallic ribbons. These strips or ribbons in practice are formed by passing the blanks between rolls, which operation imparts to the strips a decided grain, the fibers of the metal being distributed lengthwise longitudinally of the strips. Practice has demonstrated that when the prongs are disposed at right angles to the strips, or, in other words, at right angles to the grain of the metal, when the prongs are bent at right angles to the heads for insertion in the boX, said prongs are very apt to break 0E at the point. of bending or at the points where they are joined to the heads. By disposing the prongs at an angle to a line projected centrally and longitudinally of the strip the lines on which said prongs are bent up are diagonal relatively to the grain of the metal, and the danger of rupturing or breaking the prongs is greatly, if not wholly, reduced.

While I have shown and described the prongs as extending from diametrically opposite sides of the head of the rivet, it will be apparent that such aconstruction or arrangement is not absolutely essential. It will also be obvious-that each head may be formed with more than two prongs.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A rivet-strip comprising a plurality of completely-formed connected rivets, each consisting of a head having two prongs projecting therefrom in dilerent directions, a

one rivet being joined at their points only to the heads of the adjacent rivets.

3. A rivet-strip comprising a plurality of completely-formed connected rivets each consisting of a head and two prongs projecting from diametrically opposite sides of the head, the prongs of one rivet being joined at their points only to the heads of adjacent rivets, and said prongs being disposed at an angle to a line projected longitudinally and centrally of the strip.

4. A rivet-strip comprising a plurality of connected rivets each consisting of a head and two prongs projecting from diametrically opposite sides of the head, the adjacent prongs being separated from each other and attached at their points or ends only to the heads. Y

5. A rivet-strip comprising a plurality of completelyformed connected rivets, each rivet consisting of a head and two prongs, the prongs projecting from diametrically opposite sides of the head, and the points of the prongs of one rivet being directly joined to the heads of adjacent rivets.

6. A rivet-strip comprising a plurality of com pletely-formed connected rivets each consisting of a head and a plurality of prongs projecting from opposite sides of the head, a prong of one rivet being joined at its point only to the head of an adjacent rivet.

7. A rivet-strip comprising a plurality of completely-formed connected rivets each consisting of a head vhaving prongs that project from opposite sides thereof, said heads and prongs being joined to one another by connections only between the heads and points of the prongs.

S. A metallic rivet-strip constructed for use in a rivet shaping and setting machine, said strip comprising a plurality of completelyformed connected rivets, each rivet consisting of a head and prongs projecting, therefrom in different directions, the strip having openings throughout its length between the prongs of adjacent rivets, and the metal forming a prong of one rivet being joined at its end to the metal forming the head of an adjacent rivet beforethe cutting-off operation takes place.

9. Ametallic rivet-strip constructed for use in a rivet shaping and setting machine, said strip comprising a plurality of completelyformed connected rivets each consisting of a head and prongs projecting from opposite sides of the head with an opening between each two adjacent prongs of companion rivets,

the metal forming the prong of one rivet being joined to the metal forming the head of au adjacent rivet.

l0. A metallic rivet-strip prepared for use IIO in a rivet shaping and setting machine, said strip comprising a plurality of connected rivets each consisting of ahead and two prongs, the opposite edges of the strip being so shaped that the head of each rivetis partly rounded ont and the one side of each prong is formed, the metal forming the prong of one rivet being joined to the metal forming the head of an adjacent rivet.

11. A metallic rivet-strip prepared for use in a rivet shaping and setting machine, said strip comprising a plurality of completelyformed connected rivets, each consisting of a head and two prongs extending therefrom in diierent directions, the portion of metal forming the prongr of one rivet overlapping the portion of metal forming the prong of an adjacent rivet and the said prongs being separated from each other, and attached at their points to the heads of adjacent rivets.

12. A metallic rivet-strip prepared for use in a rivet shaping and setting machine, said strip comprising a plurality of completelyformed connected rivets, each consisting of a head and two prongs extending therefrom in different directions, said prongs being disposed at an angleto a line projected longitudinally and centrally of the strip, the portion of met-al forming the prong of one rivet- JOHN S. STOKES.

Witnesses HARRY PEW, Y ALBERT S. PETTI'r. 

